Multiple actuating lever



y 1953 R. A. PETERSON 3,088,328

MULTIPLE ACTUATING LEVER Filed July 24, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Rosa-27A PETERSON AT ToeNEYs y 7, 1963 R. A. PETERSON 3,088,328

MULTIPLE ACTUATING LEVER Filed Jul 24, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

ROBERTA. PE TEPSON BY A 7' 702M: Ys.

United States Patent 3,088,328 MULTIPLE ACTUATING LEVER Robert A. Peterson, San Leandro, Calif., assignor to Caterpillar Tractor (30., Peoria, 111., a corporation of California Filed July 24, 1961, Ser. No. 126,312 1 Claim. (Cl. 74-471) This invention relates to means for controlling a plurality of valves with a single manually actuated lever capable of movement in several directions.

The invention has many uses but is particularly applicable to earthmoving equipment and the like in which hydraulic power is employed for adjusting various parts of a single machine. One typical example of such a machine is a tractor mounted loader bucket with a clam shell-type bucket having an articulate front closure member for retaining a large load sometimes referred to as a clamp. Such machines employ hydraulic motors or jacks for raising lift arms which carry the bucket. A second set of such jacks is employed for tilting the bucket between load, carry and dump positions, and a third set of jacks is employed to actuate the bucket closure member. Each set of jacks has an associated control valve, usually of the spool-type, for directing fluid from a source under pressure selectively to opposite ends of the jacks. Thus the operator of such a machine is confronted with the necessity of actuating three separate levers with one hand while his other hand and his feet are employed in steering, accelerating and decelerating and reversing direction of a tractor upon which the loader is mounted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means through which all three valves of such a machine can be actuated by movement in different directions of a single manually controlled lever.

A further object of the invention is the provision of leverage through which substantially rectilinear motion can be selectively imparted to three separate elements independently of each other through movement of a single element.

Further and more specific objects and advantages of the invention and the manner in which it is carried into practice are made apparent in the following specification wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of an assembly of levers embodying the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an elevation from the front or right hand side of the assembly shown in FIG. 1.

Since valves of various types are employed in hydraulic controls, no valves are illustrated herein. Any valve, however, whether it be of the sliding spool or rotary type can be actuated by rectilinear or substantial rectilinear motion such as is attained by the use of a crank or a connecting rod.

FIG. 1 of the drawings shows three connecting rods at 10, 12 and 14, each of which may be moved substantially axially of itself independently of the others and without regard to the positions at which the others are set, by manipulation of a hand lever 16 shown as having a spherical hand piece 18 thereon. Each of the rods 10, 12 and 14 may be assumed as operatively connected with a valve to be controlled to adjust the same from a central or hold position to positions on opposite sides of the central position for actuating hydraulic jacks and the devices moved by them in opposite directions.

The entire assembly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is carried on a plate 20 adapted to be secured as by cap screws 22 to the body of a tractor adjacent the operators station, a portion of which is shown at 24. The connecting rod is connected as by a clevis 26 with a lever 28. The

ice

lever 28, as best shown in FIG. 2, is fixed to a sleeve 30 adapted to oscillate about a trunnion 32 through suitable anti-friction bearings shown at 34. A post 36 is connected by means presently to be described and rises from the sleeve 30. At its upper end the post carries a bearing sleeve similar to that shown at 30 and a trunnion 38 pivotally mounted in the sleeve carries the hand lever 16. Thus upon forward and reverse movement of the hand lever about the transverse axis provided by the bearing sleeve 30 (right and left as viewed in FIG. 1) the rod 10 is moved. This rod may, in the example given, actuate a valve for raising and lowering a loader bucket.

Tilting of the same bucket, as between its carry and its dump position, may be accomplished through movement of the connecting rod 12. This rod is suitably connected as at 39 with one end 4!] of a bellcrank lever carried on a sleeve 42 identical in construction and mounting to the sleeve 30. The opposite end 44 of the bellcrank is connected by a rod 46 through universal or ball and socket joints 48 and 50 with the hand lever 16. Vertical swinging movement of the hand lever 16 about the axis of trunnion 38 therefor actuates the rod 12.

The rod 14 may, in the case of a clam shell-type loader actuate the valve which controls opening and closing of the clamp or bucket closure. This rod is pivotally connected with a lever 52 which, as best shown in FIG. 2, extends outwardly and downwardly from the bottom of the post 36. As also best shown in FIG. 2, the connection between the post 36 and sleeve 30 is made through an identical bearing sleeve 54 mounted in the same manner as the sleeve 30 on a trunnion 56 which is welded or otherwise suitably secured to the top of the sleeve 30. Bracket members 58 and one end of the lever 52 are also securely welded to each other, to the post 36 and to the sleeve 54 to form a rigid connection which enables the post 36 to pivot or oscillate in a small are about the center of the bearing sleeve 54 which provides an axis parallel to the post. This in turn imparts swinging move ment to the lever 52 for moving the rod 14 in the desired manner. This swinging movement may be accomplished by sidewise movement of the hand lever 16 which would be movement from right to left as viewed in FIG. 2.

The last referred to swinging movement of the post 36 about the center of the sleeve 54 is obviously accomplished without disturbing the position of the lever 28 and rod 10 and, since the center of pivotal movement between the rod 14 and lever 52 is in axial alignment with the trunnion 32 about which the sleeve 30 turns, forward and reverse swinging movement of the post 36 about the axis of this trunnion for moving the rod 10 does not effect the rod 14. Very slight endwise movement of the link 46 which acts in adjusting the position of the rod 12 will take place both in the forward and reverse swinging movement of the post 10 and in its pivotal movement about the center of sleeve 54. This movement which in eifect tends to lengthen and shorten the distance between the ball and socket fittings 48 and 50 on the ends of rod 46 will be reacted in the hand lever 16 which can move upwardly and downwardly more freely than the valve controlled by the rod 12 can be adjusted. Consequently any one of the rods 10, 12 and 14 can be moved to adjust the position of the valve controlled by it independently of the others and without regard to the particular position in which the others are disposed at the time that the adjustment is made.

With the lever assembly of the present invention, an operator is freed of the necessity of selecting the proper one of three levers for controlling three valves and can, if desired, rest his hand at all times on the single hand lever which is capable of movement in three different directions for performing three different adjustments of the implement with which he is working.

I claim:

In combination with three substantially parallel control rods: a fixed support adjacent said rods, a single hand lever for imparting endwise movement selectively to said rods, a post pivotally mounted on the support for swinging movement about a first axis disposed transverse to the direction of movement of said rods, an arm fixed to the post for movement with the post about the same axis, a pivotal connection between said arm and a first of said rods, said post also being mounted for movement 10 2,191,842

about a second axis transverse to the direction of movement of therods and at a right angle to the first axis, a second arm fixed on the post for movement with the post about the second axis, a pivotal connection between said second arm and a second of said rods, said hand lever 15 being pivoted to the post to move it about said first and second axes, a bell crank pivoted on said fixed support, a

pivotal connection between one end of the bell crank and the third of said rods, and a link connecting the opposite end of said bell crank with said hand lever to move the third rod when the hand lever is swung about its pivotal 5 connection with the post.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Back Feb. 27, 1940 2,549,969 Hesernann' Apr. 24, 1951 2,679,327 Hren May 25, 1954 2,877,660 Rush Mar, 17, 1959 2,959,230 Doman -t. Nov. 8, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,223,273 France Feb. 1, 1960 

